The Boxster 211 Is The New Poverty-Spec Porsche You Never Knew Existed

If you fancy a new Porsche, but can’t quite come up with the readies for the base-spec 261bhp Boxster or 271bhp Cayman, Stuttgart has an answer: the 211. So called because of a 211PS output (208bhp), the Boxster and Cayman ranges now kick off with these lower-powered ‘211’ machines, but here’s the catch: you can only buy them in Belgium and Norway.

So what gives? Both use a detuned version of the same 2.7-litre flat-six that you’ll find in the regular bottom-of-the-range Porkers. Interestingly, neither were officially announced, both simply appearing on the Norwegian and Belgian Porsche sites, where they were spotted by World Car Fans.

The move is no doubt intended to give the option of a more tax-friendly Porsche in the two countries, where vehicle excise is based on numerous factors including emissions and power output. A lower-powered Boxster was also available in Norway on the previous generation ‘987’ Boxster.

Inevitably, the detuned engines have slowed the cars down. In the Boxster 211, 0-62mph is dispatched in 6.4 seconds, down from 5.8sec, while in the Cayman version, the same takes 6.3 seconds, which has dropped from 5.7sec. Spec the PDK dual-clutch gearbox rather than the manual, and those figures drop marginally. All are slightly more economical than their more powerful counterparts.

In Norway, the Boxster will set you back 695,900kr (£67,100), compared to 764,900kr (£73,700) for the regular 261bhp version. For the Cayman 211, you’ll need 714,900kr (£69,000), down from 795,900kr (£76,700). Oddly, the Belgian versions of the 211 are listed on Porsche’s website as €52,030 (£41,500) for the Boxster and €53,482 (£42,700) for the Cayman, identical to the prices for the 261bhp and 271bhp models. We’re unsure if this is intentional, or a mistake.

If you were in the market for a new Boxster or Cayman, would you consider one of these to save a little money on tax and fuel?